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5 Things To Consider When Evaluating Online Career Advice

It seems like everyone writes about careers and the job market today. As a job seeker, the amount of online career advice available can be overwhelming. But what advice is the “right” advice? Who should you listen to? How will you distinguish bad advice from good advice?

1. The Writer

Do they have experience (for example, as a professional resume writer or hiring manager) in the subject?

Do they have examples or anecdotes within their advice?

2. The Audience

What is the main audience for this outlet? Is it a blog aimed at high-level executives, or intern candidates? Depending on where you’re at in your career, the advice may differ slightly, so make sure you’re reading the appropriate outlets.

3. The Outlet

Is the blog or website a valuable source of career advice? Is it well respected? How long has it been around? There are some sources of advice online that mean well, but might not give job seekers the proper advice to succeed in their job search. Check out the “About Us” sections of any career advice outlet you stumble upon to see if it’s a valuable source of advice. Also, look for award badges and lists to see how the website ranks with other top career advice outlets.

4. Consistency

Is the advice consistent with what you’ve read on other websites? Or does it sound completely different than anything you’ve read before? Many career experts tend to have similar opinions on certain topics, but there are certainly people who disagree in the career world. However, the “good” advice tends to be similar across experts, for the most part.

5. Relevancy

Look at the date on the article. Is it older than a year or two? Then it’s probably best to look around for a more updated source of information. The job search is constantly evolving, which means advice from a few years ago might not be relevant in today’s job search.

How do you search for online career advice? What helps you decide if it’s a good source of information?